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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fork · hand · field · rush · pass · lie · can · ruler

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. can — a tin
  3. pass — a permit
  4. fork — in a road
  5. can — to be able to
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. lie — to recline
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. rush — hurry
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. field — a subject
  16. field — for sport
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. can — a tin
  19. hand — in cards
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. hand — help
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. field — farmland
  24. rush — to hurry

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com